When you stay at Waterbird Lakeside Inn in Chesterton, you'll be on a lake, a 3-minute drive from Indiana Dunes National Park and 7 minutes from Lake Michigan. .This hotel is 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from Chesterton Art Center and 1.2 mi (1.9 km) from Lustron House.
What's nearby
Chesterton Art Center - 16 min walk - 0.9 miles
Lustron House - 2 min drive - 1.1 miles
Wykes-Plampin Nature Preserve - 3 min drive - 1.8 miles
Indiana Dunes National Park - 3 min drive - 2.9 miles
Indiana Dunes State Park - 4 min drive - 3.5 miles
Getting around
Portage - Ogden Dunes Train to Chicago - 12 min drive
Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) - 68 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 1 min walk
Sunrise Family Restaurant - 13 min walk
Taco Bell - 1 min walk
Wendy's - 7 min walk
Dairy Queen - 3 min walk
About this property
Waterbird Lakeside Inn
Waterbird Lakeside Inn offers 30 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Rooms open to balconies. Guests can make use of the in-room refrigerators and microwaves.
This Chesterton hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. 40-inch flat-screen televisions come with premium cable channels. Change of towels and change of bedsheets can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.
Make yourself at home in one of the 30 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Rooms have private balconies. 40-inch flat-screen televisions with cable programming provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected. Conveniences include phones, as well as coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards.
Featured amenities include express check-in, express check-out, and laundry facilities. Free self parking is available onsite.
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
Free uncovered self parking on site
Family friendly
In-room microwave
In-room refrigerator
Laundry facilities
Conveniences
Laundry facilities
Guest services
Change of bedsheets (on request)
Change of towels on request
Housekeeping (daily)
Outdoors
On a lake
More
1 building
2 floors
At least 80% lighting from LEDs
Double-glazed windows
Local culture and ecosystem education
No plastic water bottles
Reusable cups
Reusable tableware
Smoking not allowed
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Entertainment
40-inch flat-screen TV with premium cable channels
Food and drink
Coffee/tea maker
Microwave
Refrigerator
More
Air conditioning
Energy-saving switches in guestrooms
Iron/ironing board
Mobile key entry
Phone
Water-efficient showers
Water-efficient toilets
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 11:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 21
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Express check-out available
Special check-in instructions
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Property payment types
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a security system
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Property is also known as
Waterbird Chesterton
Waterbird Inn
Waterbird Inn Chesterton
Waterbird Lakeside Hotel Chesterton
Waterbird Lakeside Inn Chesterton
Waterbird Lakeside Inn
Waterbird Lakeside Chesterton
Waterbird Lakeside
Waterbird Lakeside Inn Hotel
Waterbird Lakeside Inn Chesterton
Waterbird Lakeside Inn Hotel Chesterton
Waterbird Lakeside Inn Reviews
Reviews
8.2
Very Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Alex at the front desk is SUPER helpful.
We went into our room, the heat was not working. It was almost 10 PM but Alex came immediately. He tried but couldn't fix it so he put us in another room. That was a quick fix.
The hotel is not in the best shape, but it's economically priced.
We absolutely loved the balcony view and we'll definitely be going back. It's a hidden gem and affordable.
Ricardo
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
10/10 Excellent
Blake
Nov 17, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Yes everything was great!
Blake
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
10/10 Excellent
Cynthia
Nov 14, 2025
Cynthia
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025
8/10 Good
Jean
Nov 13, 2025
Jean
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025
10/10 Excellent
Blake
Nov 10, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Was overall just a nice and clean hotel and the service was fantastic I will definitely be staying again!
Blake
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025
10/10 Excellent
Cynthia
Nov 9, 2025
Cynthia
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
10/10 Excellent
Cynthia
Nov 9, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The room was so clean and spacious. The view was spectacular! The color of the fall leaves, the refraction of the sun off the lake. Morning dew rolling across the lake. Extremely quiet,in November. A Zen two day retreat. Highly recommended! Mental vacations are a necessity.
Cynthia
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
6/10 Okay
Daniel
Nov 2, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We liked our room. Spacious and clean. Wonderful view of the lake. It looks like they are renovating some rooms so ours had some new carpet and flooring but some older cabinets and trim. All together it was a good place to stay.
The balcony was amazing and the beds was very comfortable. The only thing that had me at ease was the door to the parking lot was unlock all night that's not safe and there no dresser drawers in the room.
The property is very close to the Dunes Parks. It was recently renovated. The room was big and comfortable and beds were very comfortable. It is very close by car to Chesterton, cute town where we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Lucrezia Italian restaurant. There were plenty of fast food places very close to the property.
Josie
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025
8/10 Good
Mackenzie
Traveled with partner
Oct 19, 2025
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Depends how picky you are. I’m not usually overly picky, but I booked my boyfriend and I a room for one night on our way home from a week of hiking in Tennessee. I got a room with a hot tub. Well we walked into the room and the smell was horrible and strong. We had to open the door over looking the lake to air it out. We looked at the hot tub and determined we didn’t want to use it because it smelt like mold and looked dirty in the jets. We also had a heck of a time getting the TV to work. Getting the shower head to turn on was confusing too. The parking is odd. One row are straight the next is slanted, it’s pretty tight backing out. But other than this, it was quiet and peaceful, well besides the train that’s near by that goes through about every 15 minutes. Lake view was nice.
The room was spacious and clean. The balcony should have been cleaned before we arrived though, there were cigarettes and garbage all over it. Otherwise I was pleased with the cleanliness. The area seemed safe and very quiet. Within walking distance to a few things and convenient to areas we were going.
I actually had a bit of trouble finding the correct check-in area, as there are 2 adjacent motels/inns. But I really liked this place, especially with the deck overlooking the small lake. The room was clean and I felt safe. The staff was very friendly.